The Apprentice
by WithinLivesDarkness
Summary: Robin finally begins to open his eyes to the world with the help of Slade, who's back from the dead. What happens when Robin fakes his own death to help the former villain? / SladexRobin, based off a role-play with a friend, multiple chapters.


**CHAPTER ONE**

The night was dark as Robin crept into the factory, his eyes behind his mask scanning the whole area. The factory machines thrummed noisely, and once or twice, banged and managed to startle the Teen Titan. When he caught wind about Slade possibly being in the area, Robin didn't have time to tell the other Titans before he flew off.

_Was it possible? Did Slade survive? No, it couldn't be._ No one could survive the lava that flooded the cavern underneath the ground. Not even the amazing, indefatigable, witty Terra. He felt regret surge into him thinking about her stoned body standing proudly in the same cavern. Besides, it's been years since that fight. Even if Slade's body didn't burn up, he would still be like Terra, a solid, grey rock. Dead.

"Hello, Robin," a familiar, slick voice interrupted his thoughts.

Robin gasped. "Slade!" He whipped out his bo staff and whipped around, facing the villain.

Slade chuckled. "You haven't changed a bit, Robin."

"I thought you were dead!" Robin snarled, glaring.

"You thought wrong," Slade coldly responded.

Robin attacked, uttering a loud cry as he swung his metallic staff at Slade's shoulder. That was his weak point, Robin remembered. However, Slade easily blocked him with his fist.

"Well, you're a little out of practice, though," the irritating masked man dryly commented.

"No, I am not!" Robin growled, trying to attack him again with his bo staff. "How are you alive?" he demanded.

Slade blocked Robin once again. "You can sing all you want, little bird, but you'll never truly defeat me."

"Don't call me that! _Hehhnay_!" Robin attacked again and again, each time failing and growing more and more tired. "I watched you die in the lava! How did you survive?!"

Slade uttered a chuckle and quickly moved, surprising Robin by grabbing his mask and yanking it off. Robin gasped, feeling exposed. "No!" He grabbed for his familiar mask, but couldn't touch it.

Slade studied the boy who looked younger without his coverage. He was handsome for a teenager with adorably wide, blue eyes. Slade continued to stare as he commented, "You have lovely eyes, Robin. I never would have guessed they were blue, however." Robin faltered. "You asked how come I didn't perish in the cavern. I'm immortal, Robin; I healed and spent three years in hiding, nurturing my body and building up strength again. As you can imagine, the lava left me weak and powerless. However, I am no longer."

Robin pushed his bo staff underneath Slade's covered chin, glaring angrily. "Give me back my mask! What are you? You can't be immortal, and there's no way you of all people are a god. What are you then?" he growled at his old master.

To his surprise, Slade began to explain. "When I was twenty-five, the government wanted to make a perfect soldier for the second World War approaching. I hit the requirements, and they experimented on me. The experiment went horribly due to the Nazi attacking our data base, and I accidentally became immortal. I had the ability to instantly heal, the strength to win every fight, and the mind to create clever plans."

"W-why are you telling me all this?" Robin asked, trying to come up with a plan as he stopped attacking. He should have gathered all the Teen Titans, not gone out foolishly on his own. However, his gut instinct told him to be the lone wolf again.

"Because, little bird, you have to see both sides of the argument before you pass judgement," Slade explained.

"What do you mean? How am I supposed to forgive and forget everything you've ever done to Jump City? And all because the government made a small mistake?"

"I have my reasons for everything I have ever done." Slade turned his back then on the boy, taking up his usual posture as he glared at the wall.

"Well, you can tell them all when you're in jail! Hah!" Robin cried out, taking advantage of Slade's turned back.

Unfortunately, Slade expected the attack, grabbed Robin's bo staff, and threw it into the dark corner as he turned back around. He ducked from Robin's fist and smirked underneath his mask. "Such a determined little bird."

"Grr! Don't think for one second you can defeat me this time. It's been years since our last fight, and I've improved. A lot. Enough to beat you." Slade's "little bird" comments angered Robin immensely, causing him to punch Slade in the chest. However, due to the yellow metal surrounding his body, this only gave Robin more pain. Robin groaned, clutching at his bruised hand.

"Don't you think I have been preparing for my return? You're a cute bird when you're angry." Slade circled Robin and gave him a once-over look.

"I won't let you win!"

Robin's determined mind irritated Slade who was surprised when his bird boy managed to grab back his mask. "Naughty little bird, aren't you?" Slade growled. Taking advantage of Robin's exposed face before he could slap the annoying mask back on, Slade slid his hand under Robin's chin, pulled him forward, lifted his own mask, and kissed him. His body grew hotter as Slade moved Robin's lips with his own while the younger boy remained frozen.

Suddenly, realization slapped him.

"Mmmh!" Robin protested, pushing away the immortal man. "W-what're you doing? Fight me!" No, no, no, please don't kiss me. I can't handle it, his mind weeped.

Slade laughed. "I'd rather enjoy you than wreck you, pretty bird."

"Why are you doing this? You think this is some kind of twisted joke? Do you have some sick power that can manipulate my mind and my dreams? Stop coming into them! Stop trying to change me! Stop kissing me! This is just another dream... No, not a dream: a nightmare."

"Whatever do you mean, Robin?"

"You... you know what I mean," he growled. "How did you infiltrate my dreams the past year?"

"Robin, I have no such ability. That is your own mind telling you what you want." Underneath the metal, Slade smirked again. This was turning out better than he had hoped.

Robin's blue eyes widened. He tried attacking again, weakly with his fists. Robin's bo staff was still thrown into the corner. Too hurried to reach the factory, he had left all his other weapons in his room at the Titan Tower.

"You're very determined, Robin. I'll give you that," Slade sighed. "Why are you so intent on fighting me when you know I'm right?"

"Because you're the enemy!" Even then, Robin hesitated. Was he the enemy? his mind chided.

"Am I? Or are you attacking me because you have a sick obsession you can't overcome?" Slade asked, remembering the days he spent watching Robin grow more and more stressed over his predicament. Sometimes, his little bird's obsession even worried him.

"You're the one who has been stalking us since day one! I'm not obsessed," denied Robin.

Slade tsked. "Ah, but that was for informational purposes."

"This is for justice purposes," countered the teenager. "Of course, that's something you wouldn't know of, considering you're a highly-wanted criminal."

Slade grew angry. "Is justice tearing families apart and mutating people? Or is its it getting what's rightfully yours? What you call justice is true evil."

Robin again hesitated. "No! Stop trying to get into my head. It won't work.

But even then, Robin could feel himself changing and his opinion altering. He remembered all those times he captured a poor burglar, all those times the government arrested people, all those times those people died in jail. He remembered his own unfair past that left him emotionally scarred. _Was it all really for justice? Was Slade right?_

Slade disagreed, "You see, Robin. Everything has a different side. You might think you are helping the people of Jump City, but you're doing the opposite. There is justice; your idea of it isn't that. You're creating chaos trying to defeat one side when it's pointless; you can never get rid of either good or evil. They must co-exist, dominating each other at times, tipping the balance of life but never going completely to one side. That is why I walk the line between them, Robin, and I get a much clearer view of the equation before judging what I should do next. I am unbiased in my actions, Robin, and you must be as well. I chose my path, because I'm helping people who society looks down upon. I'm helping my kind." Slade bent over and picked up the Teen Titan's bo staff, twirling it lightly in his hands.

"Then why do you attack the Teen Titans? We're only trying to help our people. Why did you steal Terra from us?"

Slade bit back an angry retort, frustrated. _When will he open his eyes?_

"Like I said, Robin, I wanted an apprentice. It was either you... or her. After you refused, I asked her. Now I realize that I made the right decision the first time."

"What's so special about me?" Robin stalled to give the Teen Titans enough time. They must have guessed where he was, and they were most likely on their way now.

Slade commented, "Robin, I know the Teen Titans are on their way. But you are like me, you realize that. You could be helping your kind instead of making it worse for them. You could be my apprentice. Robin, you have my offer. Do you accept it?"

"What if I refuse again?" he countered.

"Then I will consider a new apprentice, but you saw how that unfortunately turned out. I will always still watch you, Robin, and I won't stop fighting for the real justice even if people don't realize that."

Robin frowned. What Slade was saying made sense, as unbelievable as it seemed. _What am I supposed to do? He is right, even if I hate to admit it! What about the group? Cyborg would never accept it. Starfire and Raven would try to bring me back to being the naive child who was the leader of the Teen Titans. The boy who followed what everyone told him. Beastboy would think I was brainwashed. Ugh, why can't there just be black and white? Good and evil, like it used to be?_ Unfortunately, as a person matures, they begin to see more shades of grey. Considering the fact that Slade was eighty or ninety years old, he must have seen all those shades.

His former enemy interrupted his thoughts again. "The last time you became my apprentice, the Titans knew who you were. What if they didn't know this time?"

"How? Raven could sense it," Robin demanded.

"I have my ways, little bird, to convince them I killed you. Of course, you would have to wear a mask," Slade explained. "They would never know, Robin. Raven wouldn't even be able to sense you."

_That would devastate them... They would despise Slade more than they already do... I have to do this, though._

Robin hesitated one final time before uttering, "I accept your offer."

**END OF CHAPTER ONE.**


End file.
